Public vs private hospital delivery in Singapore: subsidised, private patient or private hospital

You can give birth in Singapore by one of three routes. You can be a subsidised patient at a public hospital, a private patient at a public hospital, or a patient at a private hospital. Public vs private hospital delivery mostly changes who delivers your baby, the ward you stay in and the size of the bill. MOH's bill table for a normal delivery lists three public hospitals: KKH, NUH and SGH.

How to choose where to give birth, step by step

1. Write down what matters most to you: the bill, one gynae from start to finish, a room to yourself, a short trip from home, or a neonatal unit in the same building.
2. Count the trips before you pick: KKH says a healthy pregnancy usually means around 8 to 10 clinic visits, so a clinic near home or work makes each one easier.
3. For subsidised care, get a referral from a polyclinic or a CHAS GP. KKH charges private rates when a polyclinic refers you to a specific doctor, so leave the doctor's name off.
4. For private care at KKH, NUH or SGH, pick a consultant and book with the hospital. KKH bills self-referred patients at private rates and asks you to allow 2 working days to confirm a new appointment. NUH's Women's Clinic takes bookings on 6908 2222.
5. Compare the bills. Put your ward and delivery type into our delivery cost calculator, then check MOH's typical bills in the table below.
6. See the rooms: call SGH on 6326 5923 about its labour ward tour, or open KKH's virtual tours of a delivery room and its wards.
7. Go for financial counselling when your hospital offers it: NUH does it between 28 and 32 weeks, then collects a deposit based on your whole estimated bill. At KKH, ask the Admissions Office on Level 1, Women's Tower, or use its Admissions Buddy portal.
8. Learn the route for the day itself. KKH sends you to its Delivery Suite on Level 2, Women's Tower, from 22 weeks. NUH's Delivery Suite is Ward 22, Main Building Level 2.
9. Pack your bag. Our hospital bag checklist shows what each hospital already supplies.

The three routes side by side

The table compares a normal vaginal delivery on each route. The bills are MOH's typical bills, which are medians: half of patients paid less.

KKH spells out the trade-off. As a subsidised patient, you get team-based care led by an assigned specialist, and the team on duty delivers your baby. As a private patient, you choose the specialist, and that obstetrician conducts the delivery with the midwives and doctors on duty. KKH adds that patients get the same quality of care whatever their subsidy status.

The middle route gets you one consultant inside a public hospital, with its labour ward and neonatal unit close by. At NUH, private patients also get daily newborn check-ups by a paediatrician during the stay. Our guide to choosing a gynae in Singapore covers picking that consultant.

What the bill covers, and where MediSave fits

MOH's typical bills include GST. They're counted before MediShield Life, Integrated Shield Plans and MediSave pay anything, and public hospital bills are after any government subsidy. On the private side, MOH's fee benchmark for the doctor's fee alone for a normal delivery is $2,507 to $4,142 with GST. The hospital's charges come on top.

The MediSave Maternity Package works on all three routes. NUH says it covers pre-delivery and delivery expenses in public and private hospitals. Our MediSave Maternity Package guide has the current limits. For each hospital's package prices and typical bills, see maternity package prices in Singapore. If a caesarean is on the cards, c-section vs normal delivery explains how the two births differ.

Wards, partners and the neonatal unit

At KKH, subsidised mums stay in naturally ventilated wards of five to six beds with shared bathrooms. Private patients get a single room with its own bathroom, or a bed in a four-bedded room. If you want your partner to stay the night, check the ward class: NUH offers an overnight stay for one family member in its single-bedded A1 wards.

If your pregnancy is higher risk, the neonatal unit matters more than the room. KKH's NICU has 40 beds and is the largest in Singapore. NUH says intensive care, neonatal care, cardiology and paediatric surgery are all in the hospital if you or your baby need them. Ask your gynae where they'd want you to deliver if your pregnancy changes.

Clinic hours matter if you work. KKH's O&G clinics open on weekdays from 8.30am to 5.30pm. Private patients can also book weekday evening sessions and Saturday morning sessions, with a surcharge.

Maternity tours at KKH, NUH and SGH

SGH includes a labour ward tour in its antenatal class package. If you haven't signed up for classes, it runs ad hoc tours at 11.30am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. Call 6326 5923 to ask. A tour may be cancelled if the labour ward is full that day. SGH also has a virtual tour of its wards and delivery suite online.

KKH points parents to virtual tours of a delivery room and its maternity wards. Its Delivery Suite has 28 delivery rooms and handles 30 to 35 births a day. For NUH or a private hospital, ask about tours when you book your first visit.

Take your questions with you. Our birth plan guide lists what to ask about the delivery room, and antenatal classes in Singapore shows which classes include a tour.

When to see a doctor

These signs mean going to hospital, whichever route you picked. KKH lists them for its own patients:

• Strong, regular contractions (KKH).
• A show of blood-stained mucus, or a gush or steady trickle of clear fluid from the vagina (KKH).
• Your baby moving less than usual (KKH). KKH asks you to come in for this rather than wait for your next check-up. Our kick counter helps you learn your baby's pattern.
• Vaginal bleeding or a fever (KKH). NUH asks you to go straight to its Delivery Suite for any bleeding that isn't a show.
• Severe headaches, changes in your vision or tummy pain (KKH).

Where to go: at KKH, the Delivery Suite on Level 2, Women's Tower, from 22 weeks, or the Urgent O&G Centre in Basement 1 before 22 weeks. The Urgent O&G Centre is a 24-hour walk-in centre. At NUH, the Delivery Suite at Ward 22, Main Building Level 2. If you're booked at SGH or a private hospital, use the route your clinic gives you; our guide to premature labour signs lists each public hospital's. For an emergency, KKH says to call 995 or go to an emergency room.

Frequently asked questions

Is the care different in public vs private hospital delivery in Singapore?

KKH says patients get the same quality of care regardless of their subsidy status. What changes is who delivers your baby, your ward and your bill. Subsidised patients get a team led by an assigned specialist, while private patients choose their specialist.

How do I get subsidised delivery in Singapore?

Ask a polyclinic or a CHAS GP to refer you to the public hospital's O&G clinic. KKH gives subsidised rates to citizens and PRs referred this way, but charges private rates if the referral names a specific doctor. Subsidised mums stay in a B2 or C ward.

Which hospital to give birth in Singapore if I want the same gynae throughout?

Go private, at a public hospital or a private one. As a private patient at KKH, the obstetrician you chose conducts your delivery. At a private hospital, you deliver with the private gynae you booked. Either way, check which hospital your gynae delivers at before your first visit.

Can I do a hospital maternity tour in Singapore?

Yes. SGH runs labour ward tours as part of its antenatal class package, plus ad hoc weekday tours you can ask about on 6326 5923. KKH and SGH both have virtual tours online. For other hospitals, ask the clinic when you book.

What should I check when choosing a maternity hospital in Singapore?

Start with the route and the bill, then the travel time, since KKH expects around 8 to 10 clinic visits in a healthy pregnancy. Check whether the neonatal unit is in the same building, whether your partner can stay overnight, and when financial counselling and the deposit happen. Our delivery cost calculator gives you a first estimate.